Traditional audio conferencing services provide dial in access to the conferencing platform. Some conference call systems give the user the option to choose a dial in access number for a conference call. This process is error prone and puts the burden of access telephone number selection on every person attempting to join the conference call. The selection requirement along with the tendency of individuals to select access telephone numbers based on prior-use or familiarity typically results in costs that are far less than optimal for many conference call connections.
The dial-in process coupled with the proliferation of reservation-less or subscription conferencing services create significant operational problems for companies that provide these conferencing services. Since the details for a given subscription tend to be used unchanged for many months, service providers must ensure that the access telephone numbers remain fairly static over long periods of time. This requirement limits the ability of service providers to optimize costs and limits their ability to route around network problems by providing alternate conference access numbers.
The present inventors recognized the need for a system that dynamically determines and provides call-in conference call participants with conference call access numbers at or about the time of the conference call. The present inventors recognize the need for a system that avoids network access numbers experiencing routing problems by providing just-in-time conference call access number to conference call participants.
The present inventors recognized the need for a system that provides conference participants with an access numbers that generate the least connection cost for connecting the participant. The present inventors recognize the need for a system that considers the participant's location at or about the time of the conference call when determining the appropriate dial in access number for the participant. The present inventors recognized the need for a system that utilizes location data provided by a participant's mobile device at or about the time of the conference call to determine the location of the user and the optimal conference call access number.
The present inventors recognized the need for a system that provides the participant the optimal conference call access number in a format that the user's mobile device, such as a smart phone, is configured to recognize as a phone number. Therefore the participant may be able to connect to the conference call by selecting the number with one action on the user's mobile device, rather than being required to manually enter the conference call access number. The present inventors recognized the need for a system that eliminates the burden to the participant of looking up the conference call access number at the time of the conference call.